Not a super crazy week as far as my Pull List goes, but it looks pretty promising. Let’s, shall we?

This cover gave me hope for a Black Alice-less issue. That was not to be.

Secret Six #29

This book’s sort of gone downhill for me once the fantastic first arc finished. It’s been pretty enjoyable in the last few issues, though. Issue #29 was along the same quality, but it’s kind of hampered by being a tie in to Cornell’s Lex Luthor arc over in Action Comics (Which I’ve been trade-waiting on but am pretty excited about). Next issue’s promise of a rematch with the Doom Patrol sounds like it’ll be fun, though.

"DAMN YOU BANKSY!!"

Daredevil Reborn #1 (of 4)

After months of Shadowland stuff, it’s kind of nice to get a quiet Matt Murdock-rediscovers-himself story. That’s hardly a new conceit (really, Daredevil “being pushed to the edge, losing everything, then rebuilding” has kind of been the status quo since Miller’s run), but Andy Diggle’s establishing a nice little mystery to go along with it. I dug the art, similar to Guéra’s pencils over in Jason Aaron’s Scalped.

The logo should really just be Grant Morrison's floating head.

Batman & Robin #19

This is the first of two Paul Cornell books I grabbed this week (He’s everywhere!). Cornell’s fill-in run on Batman & Robin has been pretty fun, I’m frankly disappointed that this is his last issue (and, since I’m not all that interested in Peter Tomasi’s on writing chores, my last issue). “The Absence” is a pretty great concept for a Batman villain and Cornell creating a new character that acts as a response to a long-running element of the Bat-mythos (Bruce Wayne’s treatment of women as disposable) is pretty ingenius. Really, this is what Hush SHOULD’VE been: a Bruce Wayne villain who just happens to come up against Batman and co. I hope someone, if not Cornell, continues to use the character.

I'm far too classy to make a "Close your eyes and think of England" joke here.

Best of the Week: Knight And Squire #4 (of 6)

If you aren’t reading this miniseries, you really should be. Cornell is almost single-handedly establishing this weird british corner of the DC universe with every issue. Each issue so far’s been more light-hearted done-in-one superhero fare, but Cornell puts some great little dramatic moments in issue #4. The focus on Knight’s backstory through the renegade suit of armor is pretty inspired and Squire’s just-out-of-the reader’s-earshot conversation toward the end is…pretty heartbreaking. But Cornell balances this out with flat-out brilliant gags (K & S having an American Alfred equivalent named Hank, the giant container of Marmite, etc). Really hoping this book does well enough to get an eventual on-going, it’s just about the most genuinely fun comic DC is publishing.

THE ACE OF SPADES! THE ACE OF SPAAADES!

Heroes For Hire #2

Here’s why you need to be reading this comic:

Abnett and Lanning write street-level superhero stuff that is waaaay more creative and exciting than it even needs to be.

In this issue, Ghost Rider and Silver Sable team up to fight arms dealers with demonically powered guns.

The word “damnunition” is used. Twice.

This book has made me care about Paladin. That is a feat in and of itself.

Seriously, THIS is how you do a team-up book.

***

And that’s it for the week. Ended up really loving Knight and Squire and Heroes For Hire, can’t recommend them enough.